Discovery Commons is the new research repository managed through Digital Imaging and Archiving. The commons provides a place to view and explore online resources, and offers coordinated support for digitizing, image development, and repository site development. More than just a storage location, the research repository provides an online environment with easy navigation through the content, allowing researchers to find information readily.

Centralized computing support means that access to the content is maintained simultaneously for large numbers of users. Digital archiving means that preservation of original material is improved, with the online availability reducing the need for researchers to handle original records, extending the life of those originals.

The first completed project is the Macon Daily Telegraph, an indexed Civil War-era newspaper for the Center for Civil War Studies representing the first phase of the American Civil War Newspapers site at Virginia Tech. This site and others currently being developed are available at https://dcr.emd.vt.edu.